1. Introduction
Purpose of the Operations Manual
The purpose of this operating manual is to describe the values and agreed operating methods of the MBF association. These guide all teams to act in accordance with the common rules of the club. This manual also serves as orientation material for new members and parents.
Update and maintenance
This is the first version of the operations manual. The MBF Board of Directors has approved this manual on December 30, 2025.
Introduction
The manual has been put into use on January 1, 2026.
2. The foundation of the club
Basic
Mejlans Bollförening (MBF) was founded in 1969. Its predecessor was TIFG (Tomas Idrottsförening Getingarna), which was founded in 1961 with the same arrangements and operating conditions that later formed the basis for MBF. Both clubs were founded by Dan Hedman, who worked as a youth leader at the Swedish-speaking Tomas församling parish at Meilahti church.
TIFG's top juniors Peter Eklund, Christer Leidenius & Robert Ådahl.
The club is Swedish-speaking, practically trilingual (Swedish, Finnish and English). The club has 150 members, 50 of whom are juniors. The venues are Ruskeasuo table tennis hall and Olympic Stadium Sports Hall 2.
Purpose
The purpose of MBF is to promote table tennis and spread interest in table tennis, improve the physical fitness and health of its members, and awaken genuine sportsmanship and a lasting interest in table tennis among its members. At MBF, you can play table tennis for fitness, competition, and top sports.
Set of values
Our club has players from 20 different countries and everyone is welcome to join our activities – girls, boys, women and men, children, young people and adults. Our activities are based on the joy of playing, fair play and goal-orientedness. Our club values good manners and we guide our activities so that there is no racism or other discrimination or harassment in our club. Our values can be found on our website https://mbf.fi/mbf-values/
Vision
We are the largest table tennis club in Helsinki and we actively invest in the development of our juniors so that we can - in cooperation with other clubs that share our values - raise the level of Finnish table tennis closer to the top in Europe.
3. Objectives
Long-term goals
Our long-term goal (5 years) is to grow our club through junior activities and thus be the leading table tennis club in Finland, which cooperates well with other table tennis clubs that share the same values, both in Finland and abroad. Our long-term goal is to be the Finnish champion in the women's and men's championship series and to grow the membership to over 200, with over 100 of the members being juniors. Our goal is also to raise responsible young people and adults who are open to growing into better table tennis players and encouraging others to do the same.
Annual goals
The annual goals are to improve the table tennis skills of juniors and other players through high-quality coaching and to increase the number of juniors playing in the club by 10-20% per year. By the end of 2026, the goal is to increase the number of juniors from the current 50 to 70.
Year clock
The club's annual calendar has been published online: https://mbf.fi/vuosikello/
4. Administration
Good and motivating management
The well-being of club and team players promotes enjoyment in the activity. Long-term involvement and enthusiasm for the task move the club forward. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the success of club and team players is organized, valued and taken into account.
Club rules
The club's rules are published online: https://mbf.fi/seurasta/.
Board members
The club's board has been published online: https://mbf.fi/contact/#mbf-hallitus.
Officials
The club has two part-time employees: a financial manager and a club coordinator, who also acts as the secretary to the board. Further information: https://mbf.fi/contact/#mbf-hallitus.
The club has numerous part-time coaches. Further information: https://mbf.fi/contact/#mbf-valmennus
Volunteers
The board of the club operates on a voluntary basis. The club members participate voluntarily in activities such as organizing competitions.
5. Economy
Budgeting
The association's budget year is June 1.6-May 31.5. The action plan and budget are drawn up in May-June so that it can be approved at the association's annual meeting in August. Strategic development of operations inevitably increases operational costs. At the same time, however, it is important to ensure that costs are managed and that we operate cost-effectively.
Income and expenses
The club's income consists of membership, hall and coaching fees, income from organizing competitions and grants received. Expenses consist of table rentals for the Ruskeasuo table tennis hall and the Olympic Stadium sports hall, the club coordinator's salary, coaches' fees, championship team costs, league team and other payments to the Finnish Table Tennis Federation. Income and expenses are in the region of 100,000 euros per year.
Fees
The club has a joining, membership, hall and coaching fee. These are published online: https://mbf.fi/fees/
Rewards
The club pays its coaches mainly on an hourly basis. The Finnish Table Tennis Federation's coaches are paid on an hourly basis for their work. The compensation for conducting competitions and camps is per day.
Fundraising
The society applies for support annually from foundations, the City of Helsinki and the Ministry of Education and Culture. In addition, the society has a “Friends of MBF” (see https://mbf.fi/friends-of-mbf/) and supporting member categories.
Within the framework of the Finnish Hobby Model, the club is a service provider for the City of Helsinki (see coaching activities). The club develops this activity with the aim of being an attractive partner for the city. It receives some income from this activity, which is directed towards the development of the club's junior activities.
6. Sports activities
Plan of action
The society prepares an annual action plan and publishes it online: https://mbf.fi/plans-and-reports/
Recreational and competitive trail
The club has created a recreational and competitive trail and published it online. https://mbf.fi/mbf-path/
Coaching activities
The club has coaching groups for children, youth and adults, which are published on the website: https://mbf.fi/training/ .
Because people of different ages can play table tennis at the same level, we develop coaching activities so that coaching groups sometimes include players of very different ages. This creates a sense of community and develops social skills in a variety of ways.
The club coaches 3rd-4th grade school children in the Finnish Hobby Model groups, which are published on the website: https://mbf.fi/hsm-pingis/.
In addition, the club coaches 1st-2nd grade school children in two groups at Meilahti Elementary School and Meilahti Tennis Center as part of afternoon club activities.
Coach training
High-quality coaching enables you to reach your peak. For this reason, MBF strives to have the best possible coaches at its disposal and trains its own coaches, for example, in coaching courses run by the Finnish Table Tennis Association. When successful, high-quality coaching develops successful players and provides players with abilities that are useful both in their sports careers and in other areas of life.
Camp activities
The club organizes its own camps and, in cooperation with the capital clubs, the so-called "mimmi group" three weekends a year. In addition, the club organizes summer, autumn and winter holiday camps for children and young people during the holidays in cooperation with the capital clubs. More information: https://mbf.fi/camps/
Competitive activity
The club's players participate in national and international competitions.
Our best players represent Finland at the youth and adult national team level.
We play at all league levels from the 6th division to the championship.
Ildiko Kadar and Marina Donner won the Women's Team Championship in 2025.
MBF Finnish Championship Team
Within the club, so-called "kingis" competitions are organized weekly, where the club's players compete against each other.
We organize low-threshold beginner competitions for beginners together with PTS Sherwood and PT Espoo.
We also organize junior Finnish championships.
The highlight of the year is organizing an international Pongfinity Cup.
Cooperation
We work closely with the Finnish Table Tennis Association and table tennis clubs in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, especially PTS Sherwood, PT Espoo and TiP-70.
7. Security
Safety instructions
Our club has prepared safety instructions, which can be found online: https://mbf.fi/turvallisuussuunnitelma/
Risk management
As the club's operations expand, there is a risk that expenses will exceed income. Therefore, the board actively monitors the development of both income and expenses and takes corrective measures if necessary.
Crisis situations
Our association has prepared guidelines for crisis situations. They can be found online: https://mbf.fi/mbfn-kriisiviestinnan-ohjeistus/
8. Communication
Internal communication
The club uses both websites for internal communication (www.mbf.fi) that emails Sporttis.net server. Junior and adult coaching is also communicated through internal WhatsApp groups. Teams are recommended to set up their own WhatsApp groups among their parents and players. The team manager informs the players and parents of juniors about team matters, especially the teams' game times.
External communication
Our association's activities are communicated through three channels:
The foundation of our club's external communication is the club's website. Therefore, it is actively updated and articles are added to it for our club members and people interested in our activities.
The team manager takes a picture of the team for the internet and likes to write one small story on the team's website during the season (e.g. initial feelings in August-September, feelings/success in the final stages during the series matches).
Weekend and holiday camp leaders and coaches must take photos and videos and prepare a short story and/or camp video to be published on the club's website and social media. It is a good idea to share the stories on the team's website on the club's Facebook page when the story is published.
If necessary, you can get help with all publishing from the club coordinator. You can also send him/her pictures and written texts to be published on the website.
Some
Our club currently uses the following social media channels:
In addition, our club has numerous WhatsApp groups.
9. Evaluation
Gauges
Development of membership (especially young people) Success at the Finnish Championship and other league levels, success in national and international competitions. Balance of income and expenditure.
Feedback system
A semi-annual feedback discussion is held with the club coordinator, the board chairman and the board. The club coordinator holds a monthly joint meeting with the coaches. A survey is conducted for the membership, including parents/guardians, approximately once a year. After large camps and competitions, feedback is requested via online surveys.
Evolution
The club has expanded its operations in recent years and is continuing to develop them in line with its goals. The most important development target is to adapt the scope of the club's junior and adult coaching activities to the club's needs, as well as to provide coaching for beginners in schools so that some of them will join the club's activities.
